MWGTW04

The rookie's first Board meeting, part 2

After lunch, we finally get to the real meeting of the
board of directors. The Executive Committee (president, vice presidents,
president-elect, past president, secretary, and treasurer) has been
meeting since Wednesday, and we rookies have had our own meetings. This is
the first time the entire group gets together at one time, and it's a big
group - nine officers, twenty Institute directors, eight incoming board
members, and eight CSI staff.

President Gary Betts calls the meeting to order, and the
first item of business is the consent agenda we talked about last month.
Again, this is a great device to take care of a lot of business in short
order. Of the sixty-four items on the agenda, only seven were retained for
formal discussion today.

Although "real" business takes place in the
regular meeting, a committee of the whole is used to allow more
expeditious discussion without all the formalities of Robert's Rules of
Order. After approving the consent agenda, we enter into a meeting of the
whole, which lasts the rest of the afternoon. The board meeting is
recessed until the next morning.

When we reconvene, we receive reports and take formal
action on a number of items. Perhaps the most important subject is CSI's
financial status, and Treasurer Eugene Valentine spends a lot of time
explaining it, using a variety of reports and graphic formats. The
Institute's health is displayed in terms of income, expenses, committee
activities, reports from the annual convention, and membership. The
financial reports and projections are a strong dose of reality, and the
responsibilities that go with being on the board of directors begin to hit
home.

If you haven't read the statistics provided in CSI's
various publications, you may not be aware that our membership has
declined over the last few years. From a high of 18,500 in 2000, our
numbers have fallen to just over 16,000. I have been told that this
problem is not unique to CSI, and that other organizations have lost
members since 2000. It seems obvious that the slow economy in 2001 would
affect membership, as annual dues are an unnecessary expense to many of
those who are laid off. Other factors may include increased family
activities, raising chapter dues to include meals, and a perceived lack of
value in being a member of any organization.

Fortunately, it looks like things have stabilized. The
decline in membership appears to have stopped, and this year every region
has a net gain in members. Booth sales for the 2006 convention are up
dramatically, reversing a steady downward trend the last few years.

In addition to approving the next year's budget, we
approve a number of other actions. Some require little discussion, and may
not be of much interest to anyone not directly involved. For example,
Institute committee appointments are approved, and an audit committee is
appointed.

Other actions have a more obvious affect on members. We
approve the bylaws of the Pennsylvania Railroad Chapter, CSI's 145th
chapter. In light of the general decline in membership, this is welcome
news.

A new plan for the Specifications Competition, which has
been on hold the last couple of years, is presented and approved. The new
program will have two major categories; Projects will include six types of
project manuals or specifications, and Tools will include product binders,
websites, and guide specifications. More information is online at
www.CSINet.org/speccomp.

Another interesting proposal is a change in Institute
policy that would "recognize documents, publications, information
sources, and products that correctly apply CSI standards, formats and
principles" and "specifically excludes such recognition being
given to manufacturer's product specifications, binders, product
information, and websites." Under current policy, CSI may not endorse
any documents unless CSI participated in their development. Other than our
own documents, only a few are endorsed by CSI, including the EJCDC general
conditions, and the Uniform Location of Subject Matter.

Endorsement of documents may seem like a small matter,
but making it available would provide incentive for organizations to make
their products comply with CSI standards. It would also increase CSI's
visibility, and result in greater conformance to CSI formats and
principles.